Congress is all to slash the H1-B visa fee that is mostly paid by the service providers of IT which are based in India. The H1-B critics are wondering as the move being met. But it’s a sign of relief for the offshore industry of India.

The fee was adopted in the year 2010, when Democrats came into power, it was sought by US Senator. Chuck Schumer, who was also the Chairman of Subcommittee of Senate Immigration.

The fee will get expired on Oct 1, which also marks the start of the new fiscal year. And Congress is making no immediate efforts in extending it. According to the Industry trade of India, the fee raises $70-$80 million for the US each year. Previously the money was used in improving the border security but now it’s being used to help the first responders of 9/11 in paying their medical needs.

Engineering Association IEEE- USA’s Public Relations Director, Russ Harrison said that the fee elimination makes no sense. He also said that the Congress is going to do only one thing that is making the H-1B visa cheaper. Companies are making thousands of dollars per visa each year and that the job of the American middle is more worth that $2000. He added.

For firms like Facebook, Microsoft and Google, who uses H1-B, the fee of $2000 will not be going to affect them. And it applies to the 50% of their employees who come to work on this visa. The heavy use of this visa is being done by the offshore companies of India, and they were the target for the legislative.

R. Chandrashekhar, President, NASSCOM, IT industry trade group, also beliefs that the fee is unfair. He also said that this issue has nothing to do with the IT industry, and it is specifically targeting Indian companies because of its inequitable way of application. In many ways, the It industry contributes to the economy of the US. But this issue is not fully understood or appreciated. He added.

This fee of $2000 also applies to L-1 visa, and which was set originally to last for previous four years, with all the money from it was going in paying for the Security of Mexican border, but later on it was changed.